Distribution-gear, such as valve mechanism.



A. LAFITTE. v DISTRIBUTION GEAR, SUCH AS VALVE NIECHANISNI.

Patened May 11, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- AFPLICATION FILED MAY I7, 1912.

A. LAFITTE. N

DISTRIBUTION GEAR, SUCH AS VALVE MECHANISNI. APPLlcATIoN FlLED MAY I?, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented May l1, 1915.

their height.

ANDRE LAFITTE, 0F BIARRITZ., FRANCE.

I DISTRIBUTION-GEAR, SUCH As VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pateatediway 11, 1915.

application med May 17, 1912. serial No. 698,002.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDRE LAFrrTE, a

citizen of the French Republic,` residing at Biarritz, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Distribution- Gear, Such as Valve Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to distribution, such as valve, gear and comprises a spherical de. vice which, when applled to englnes, produces on normal crank pms the combined movement of ordinary reciprocation and of alternating rotation. It has been found that the driving eii'ort is transmitted inthe best possible manner with the' normal crank pin, the axis of which is parallel to the main axis in the same plane. One of the chief reasons for this improved efiiciency, is that the axis of the connecting rod always remains normal to the axis of the crank pin. The spherical device produces the combined movement with the crank pin with normal axis, or with eccentric crank pin withequal webs arranged at an angle to each other. Moreover, by applying'the spherical device to inclined crank pins' which, as is wellknown, already produce the combined movement, the effect of the spherical device formin the subject of this invention, will be a ded to that of the inclination of the axis, in'order to enable` the valve gear openings to be made of greater width'by restricting This. makes it possible to lengthen the period of driving by delaying the moment of exhaust, as well as to increase in thatway the suction period.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a normal crank pin in elevation and plan, Fig. 2 shows the resultant line roduce'd by a point taken on a piston drlven by a crank pinY of that kind, Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically, in elevation and in pla. n

anormal crank pin with the spherical device, Fig. 4 shows the resultant lin'el off a point taken on a piston driven by thls kind of crank pin, Fig. 5 shows in elevation and in plan, a crank pin with two equal webs arranged at an angle to eachother, Fig. 6

shows the resultant line of'a point taken on a moving piston driven by a crank pin of this kind, Fig.- 7 shows diagrammatically in elevation' and-in plan a crank pin with equal webs at an angle to each other,

'with the spherical device illustrated, Fig. 8

shows the resultant line of `a point taken on a piston dri-venby al crank pm of this kind, Fig. 9 shows in elevation and in plan an inclined crank pin, its axis being in the same plane as the main axis, Fig. 10 shows in :full lines the resultant line of a point on a piston driven by this inclined crank pin, and in dotted lines gives the diagram of the increased amplitude produced by the addition of the spherical device, Fig. 11 shows in elevation and in plan, a crank pin with oblique axis, in a plane differentl from that of the main axis, Fig. l2 shows in ulllines the resultant line produced by the said oblique crank pin,-and in dotted lines, the

diagram of the increase of amplitude obtained by the addition ofl the spherical device Fig. 13 shows, by way of example, the application to an engine assumed to be vertical, the spherical `device being mounted on a normal crank pin, the movable outer parts of the hinge or joint being shown 'at the upper dead center, in the middle of the` stroke, at the lower dead center and in the middle of the next stroke. Fig. 14 shows, by way of example, half a bearing of the connecting rod head, carrying a fixed halfl ringforming one piece with the same, Figs. 15 and 16 are side and front elevations of the connecting rod mounted on the bearing by means of a universal joint. Figs. 17-20 show in partial sections a body of an engine,

the piston of which is driven by an eccentric crank pin supported by equal webs at an angle to eachother, and provided with the spherical device. The connecting rod and its spherical bearing are not shown, so as to enable theposition of the guide on the spherical crank pin to be considered in the chief positions of rotation of the crank, dead centers and mid-way positions. The last of these figures, namely Fig. 20, shows insection a cupped piston the `bottom of which forms a partition through which passesa straight or oblique conduit-in order to .establish communication between the explosion chamber andthe feed or exhaust openings of the cylinder. Fig., 21 shows in vertical section an engine, the distributing piston of which is combined with a spherical crank pin, so as to receive the Jfollowing combined movements: reciprocating rectilinear motion and alternate rotating motion. ,This piston is provided with an obturator,

pin (Fig. 1) or with the tion one of the rings insuring a tight joint between the obturator with which the pistonfis provided, and the wall of the cylinder.

Having stated that it must be advantageous, both for removing resistances and for` facilitating construction, to obtain combined movementsl with the crank pin with normal axis (Fig. 1), or on the crank pin with equal webs Z Z at an angle to eachother (Fig. 5), the said results are produced by the spherical device o replacing the ordinary cylind-rical device as crank pin. On the spherical device o (Fig. 13) vshown diagrammatically, is arranged, on a large circle of the sphere o, a guide o which can be fixed or movable, projecting or recessed, of -any desired cross-section, continuous or uninterrupted, the said guide o having its axis of revolution inclined to a desired angle in the plane of the axes or outside the plane in question. In the example shown in Fig. 13, the spherical crank pin 0 is provided with an inclined circular recess o corresponding to a circular projection o provided on the spherical bearing c (Fig. 14) which forms part of the Cardan joint parts of the head ofthe. connecting rod d. It will'be seen in Fig. 13 that during the rotation of the crank, the shifting of the plane ofthe guide o will produce alternating partial rotation of the connecting rod d on its axis, and consequently that of the piston p itself, even though .the axis of the spherical crank pin ol be parallel to the main axis e and in the same plane.

In examining successively Figs. 17, 18, 19,

20, it will be seen that the groove oshown by way of example, changes its direction at every moment of the rotation, and gives to a suitably pivoted piston p the alternating movement of partial rotation. `On the other hand, it must be remembered that the additional rotary movement which is not obtainable either with the simple normal crank crank pin having equal webs at an angle to each 'other (Fig. 5),'but is obtained on these two kinds of crank pins spherical device 0, can give a pronounced additional advantage if it is applied to the various inclined drank pins (Figs. 9 and 11) which already produce such movement. In that case', an additional amplitude of rotation of ythe piston will be obtained, because the angular value ofthe rotation imparted by the sphericalcrank pin, is added to that of theinclination ofthe axis (of the inclined crank pin.

i InFig. 10 the inner fulliline indicates theY resultant of the pointV taken on a moving piston' driven .by an inclined cylindrical crank pin u, -its'axis being in the same plane (Figs. 3 and 7) by means of the` is obtained bythe use of the spherical crank pin o in the same conditions as regards the axis.` The practical result obtained by this spherical device, is to enable the distributing orii'ces t in the wall of the piston to be made ylarger -in the direction of width. The same applies to the inlet openings a and exhaust openings QJ in the cylinder wall. It will be readily understood that this extension enables the active gases tobe kept for a longer time in the cylinder y, the efficiency thus being improved. Moreover, the gases escaping more quickly from the engine, allow the fresh gases to enter in better condition, and within a period of time which may be` increased. It is indispensable, on.` the other hand, that at the moment of the production of the driving effort, 'as well as during the conipression period, the gases should be retained, in the case of an explosion engine. If they are not held in the cylinder, they can leak through its oriiices under the action of the pressure exercised by them on the side of the cylinder. For the purpose of avoiding the disadvantages in question, the piston p (Figs. 21-25) 1s provided with a detachable obturating portion b which has the form of a disk with cylindrical Aouter face. An opening e is provided in the part b and is connected to the conduit f provided in the said piston p. The detachable portion isdisposed in a lateral recess in the wall of the plston p, so that its outer cylindrical facecan slide ,on the inner wall of the cylinder y. The vbottom of the recess, which is flat, `cooperates with the corresponding face ofthe obturator b, and these faces are provided respectively with one or more concentric grooves 1I 'el' of suitable cross-section with which one or more rings j j working with double action are adapted to engage, the cross-section of the rings be- `piston p by moving the obturator away.

from the piston, which action forces the obturator tightly against the wall of the cylinder y. On the other hand, the compressed liquid or gases under` pressure that may'escape between the faces of the piston p and 'of the obturator b, will' act on the cylinder y,

piston, valve inner part of each ring j jandhave the tendency to open them out. section -of the said rings is wedge-shaped, it will follow that, by moving between the combined faces in the grooves z' z", they lwill again have the tendency to tor b away from the piston p, and will force the obturator against the surface of the so -as to produce a tight joint. Owing to this arrangement, any leakages, loss of fiuid or fall of pressure, are avoided,

as the rings j j prevent the fluid from passing between the piston p and the obturator b, and because their own reaction, to which is added that of the fluid, acts soV as to insure a tight joint between the obturator and the cylinder y. In the case of an eX- plosion engine, the application of the abovedescribed means makes it possible to effect ignition through the orifice ofthe piston p corresponding to the orifice t of the obtura- I tor b. The ignition device is then arranged near that point of the cylinder, in front of which the conduit f passes at the momentwhen the explosion takes place. In the case illustrated, that is of a two-stroke engine, indicates the oriiice for the admission of the explosion mixture, and k the orifice. for expelling the exhaust gases.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent z-f 1. In an internal combustion engine, a piston, valve gear in which the piston acts as a valve, a cylindrical recess, arranged concentrically with the piston port, a cylindrical disk in said recess having an opening for the purpose of' extending'the said port, packing rings between the disk and the Wall of the recess, and means for pressing 'the said disk a ainst the inner Wall of the cylinder and or bringing the piston port in register with the cylinder port.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a piston, Kvalve gear in which the piston acts as a valve, a cylindrical recess, arranged concentrically With the piston port, a cylindrical disk in said recess having an opening for the purposeof extending the said port, packingrings between the disk and the Wall of the recess in the piston, circular'lgrooves triangular in cross-section at the bottom of the said recess, similar grooves on the fiat face of the cylindrical disk, triangular packing rings engaging the said grooves for the purpose of 4 pressing `the disk against the wall of the cylinder in register with the piston port.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a gear in whichA the as avalve, a cylindrical. recess,

and means for bringing thel cylinder port arranged concentrically with the piston port,a cy! lindric'al disk in Said recess having for the purpose of e'xtendingfthe said. port, packing .-.ri-ngs between the disk'and ing As the cross-` p lindrical disk in said recess having pistonacts p Y i to the cylinder working space, a connecting an open-A the Wall of the recess in the piston, circuthe said pins being oppositely arranged to v a spherical bearing, a ball for the said bearing, the said ball being arranged onan inclined crank pin with which the crank shaft is provided, and means for bringing the cylinder port in register with'the piston port.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a piston, valve gear in which the piston acts as a valve, a cylindrical recess, concentrically with the piston port, a cying for the purpose ofextending thesaid port, packingurings between the disk and the wall of the recess in the piston, circular grooves triangular in cross-section at the bottom of the said recess, similar grooves on the flat face of the cylindrical disk, triangular packing rings engaging the said grooves for the purpose of pressing the disk against the wall of the cylinder, a connecting rod between the piston and the controlling crank, a forked big end on the connecting rod having openings in its branches, pins engaging the said openings, the said pins being oppositely arranged to two hemispherical parts secured to one another to form a spherical bearing, a tongue projecting inside the said bearing, a groove for receiving the said tongue arranged at an an- -gle on a ball secured to the inclined crank pin of the crank shaft.

In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with admission and exhaust ports, a pistonA having ports leading ,to the cylinder working. space, a connecting rod for said piston, a forkedv big end on the connecting rod, a spherical bearing, gudgeon pins diametrically arranged on the spherical bearing and journaled in the fork arms, a crank-shaft having aninclined crankV pin, a ball on the crank-pin corresponding to the spherical bearing, and a tongue n the bearlng engaging with a circumferential groove on the ball, for the purposeset forth.

In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with admission and exhaust ports, a -piston having ports leading a forked big end on rod for said piston,

a spherical bearing,

the connecting rod,

- gudgeon-pins"diametrically arranged on the spherical bearing andjQn'rnaIed in the fork said grooves for the purposeof pressing the f al forked big end on the c an openarranged arms, a crank shaft having an inclined In testmomT whereof I have signed my crank pin, a ball on the crank pin correname to this speelcaton n the presence of sponcling tothe spherical bearmg, a tongue two subscribing Witnesses.

on the bearlng engaglng with a crcumfer- ANDRE LAFITTE. 5 ental groove on the ball, for the purpose Witnesses:

set forth and means for making the piston ARTHUR SAMSTTER,

air-tight. BENJAMIN MATTHEW. 

